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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Foreigner – Real Juke Box Heroes, Living Large Worldwide

Album Review by Joseph Timmons

Foreigner – Alive and Rockin’

Release Date: 2012

Label: Eagle Rock Entertainment

ASIN: B007OCD1FI

We have seen many artists and bands from the 70’s and 80’s on the comeback trail, the resurgence musicians looking to capitalize on our desire to take a trip on the “way back machine” to relive the music of our youth and hopefully place themselves back on the charts and in our record collections. Unfortunately for so many of these aging rockers, their new albums are winding up on the clearance rack next to their classic releases, the one hit wonders and superstars of yesteryear are hedging their bets that they may have some newfound glory or get the respect they deserve. I love listening to the albums I have owned since my youth and still have my favorites, but some of these artists should consider that reliving the past will not give strength to their future, or secure a dynasty.

I am very happy to say that Foreigner is not one of these groups, and in fact, they will give a whole new meaning to the rock steady history they have, and truly entertain the new generation of fans that look for a group that speaks to them on the multitude of youth that feel that Foreigner speaks to them.

Foreigner takes their music seriously, but they are unpretentious and don’t sell themselves or their fans short. More than 30 years after releasing its first multi-platinum album, Foreigner's music continues to resonate worldwide across generations. The band has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide and has produced six multi-platinum albums driven by 16 Top 30 hits. Foreigner is now playing more shows in more countries than ever before. The band has sold over 70 million records worldwide. Only Led Zeppelin sold more albums for the Atlantic Records label.

Foreigner performed at the Bang your Head festival in Balingen, Germany and they simply wowed the crowd, thousands of fans from around the world came to see the innovative musicians that created a sound in the 80’s that was often imitated but never duplicated. I won’t “gush” or point out every note or chord, but I will mention that the strength of their performance shows that they are not a group of aging artists, but still vibrant, energetic and in their own special way as young as they ever were. Their performance of their classic monolithic tracks such as “Juke Box Hero”, “Head Games”, “Feels Like The First Time”, ”Cold As Ice” and “Dirty White Boy” were flawless. Opening with “Double Vision”, the album sets us on a Rockin’ Rollercoaster that can’t be stopped, ending with “Hot Blooded”; Foreigner gives us a short but totally sweet history of their career.

This album is not a triumphant return story or a “how to be remembered” moment, but another stunning performance of masterful musical artists, etching in our hearts and minds the reason that Foreigner has been and always will be a true “Super group” that will be, like their songs, timeless gems in our collection of musical treasures.